2009 Spartan Nation Football Profile: FB Andrew Hawken #45

2009 Spartan Nation Football Profile: FB Andrew Hawken #45  Height: 6’ 2” Weight: 235 2009 Eligibility: Senior EXP: 3 Letters Status: Starting FB

2009 Spartan Nation Football Profile:Â FB Andrew Hawken #45

 Height: 6’ 2”

Weight:Â 235

2009 Eligibility:Â Senior

EXP: 3 Letters

Status:Â Starting FB

 

Strengths: On every football team you have to have the guys that will do the grunt work. They may not get a lot of notice and they may not get the bulk of publicity, but they are the guys that carry the load. Many times (especially in the Mark Dantonio system) that is the full back. Hawk is that guy. He finishes his blocks and is a workhorse. He understands his job is to take on LBs and DLs head on and he revels in it. He may not be the biggest player on the team, but I would challenge you to show me someone with more football toughness.

 

The Spartans ran the ball over 500 times last season and Hawken didn’t get ONE carry. He was, however, one of the key reasons that the Spartans Javon Ringer had a monster year and his presence should make whoever wins the job very happy. He is an all guts blocker. Let me give you a typical play from last year where the average fan may not have noticed Hawken, but his presence-helped seal a huge Spartan victory. 

 

Against Notre Dame in the fourth quarter, the Spartans faced a 3rd and three on the Irish seven-yard line. Hawken came in motion, and when the Irish tried to switch up the defense fearing his pass catching abilities (more on those skills later), he laid a superb block that let Javon get the first down and the Spartans moved into a first and goal situation. He was smart enough to read the block even with the switch and because of his talents as a receiver, Notre Dame was forced to account for him.

 

Hawken may not have carried the ball, but he had 11 catches and averaged over seven yards per catch and had one TD. It is those talents as a receiver that makes defenses respect his great blocking, but also his ability to go into the flat or down the field. 

 

Weakness: Hawken needs to develop rushing to his forte to be a complete FB. He is a very good blocker and receiver and rushing could be the critical third dimension of what makes a FB elite. I am not implying that we need him to carry the ball three or even four times a game. 

 

He is a threat with receiving and he only had eleven of those last season. I am saying that the threat of a rush, and the even bigger threat that he can fight for those one, two or three yards will only simply add to his game and truly take him from a good FB to a great one. He has to work on that part of his game, but one thing I can tell you about Hawken is that you don’t have to worry about him and hard work.

 

Final Analysis: Hawken has had a good career for the Spartan Nation and it is far from over. If that one dimension can be added (a rushing threat) you could see Hawken talked about among the elite FBs in the Big Ten. 

 

With the Spartans having a new QB and a young RB in 2009, Hawken will once again be called upon to be the workhorse grunt that he has been and provide a steady fifth year senior influence for those younger guys behind him. His go to work blue-collar mentality should be a rock steady huddle influence in 2009.